Besides, who wouldn't rather play in grassy meadows punctuated by massive walls of splitter granite and/or towering limestone pinnacles, while cruxing in nothing but a t-shirt and cigarette? A small trail leads your descent, you just focus on the task at hand.
No ski boots, ski poles, crampons, one ice tool, two ice tools, hats, googles, two sets of gloves, avy beacon, shovel, probe, pack, skin problems, lines, seracs, crevasses, mank, crust, avalanches.
No, just climbing.
Dent de la Rancun
I took the train to Clermont-Ferrand last weekend to visit a friend who I might potentially work for this summer (Ivan). He dominates the Dent and took me to this strange place in the Central Massif of France (relics of old volcanoes everywhere) where many old conduits provided cool grano-diorite climbing. This route was 3 pitches of 6something.
Climbing in shorts in a t-shirt: tres agreable!
Le Mont Dore ski area behind, nice 500+m chutes with fun cliff bands in the middle.
And moving on to the Barberine: This gem is located just on the Franco-Suisse border and offers a hidden gem of granite-like wonders. Very well bolted and of superb quality. Most of the routes range from 5-10 pitches. It reminded me a lot of the apron in Squamish. Touchy friction down low but with overhanging bolted bomber shit up high. Yes please.
The first 4 pitches we did were all quality slab, like this. All 6a. 5.10a or so in Imperial units (though felt easier).
Mount White in the backround, probably killing someone.
P4 I think. Liz is getting slabbed.
Then when we got to the overhanging shit, she took the qds and showed me how to climb 6b+ (50m). It's like her 2nd lead ever. I need to put some rocks in her backpack or something.
After that we climbed some really tough pitches and I didn't take the camera out because I was pumped-out. The route cruxes with a really tough pitch of 6c that was scary and somewhat slopey. Next time I'd like to lead it without crying. After that there's 2 pitches of juggy but steep 6b+ one of which liz lead, and then we swapped. The exit pitch is some weird blood-covered (srsly) double bouldering problem that felt like 6c, but I don't think was manditory.
Overall, this place is the shit. Only 20 minutes from Cham but a world away. There's also a small garden of Eden at the bottom if you so desire.
descenta ferrata. you wouldn't find this back home. stupid dolphins.
The route goes up there somewhere. Somewhere left, near the streak.
My hat is sick.
